Kingdom Hunter
by Lrenn
Summary: The Red Man has struck again. This time Prince Liam can actually do something to help the killer's latest victim. But keeping Lady Rachel in one place long enough to protect her isn't easy. But time is running out and the killer is getting closer.


Risen Kingdom

**Risen Kingdom**

**Chapter One**

Tears filled her eyes as she surveyed the ruins of what had once been her home. The grand castle spires and towers were gone. Centuries worth of memories were gone, as well, reduced to ash in seconds by an all consuming fire. What once was the grand and prosperous duchy castle was now a three foot high pile of broken stone and blackened wood.

Rachel stood on the edge of the debris, lamenting this great loss. Her heart felt nearly broken in two, and she let the tears come, barely aware of their existence. What was she to do? She couldn't go back to the convent. Her parents were traveling the globe, her brother in training to become a knight on the other side of the country. She was alone, but for the servants that had survived the fire and were now sifting through the rubble.

She should help, she thought belatedly. But she couldn't get her legs to move, nor her arms. Her eyes stayed riveted on her home and all other thoughts escaped her mind. She had nothing. It would take months, over a year to rebuild the castle to its former glory, and then only if they worked round the clock without any unforeseeable hardship.

"Lady Rachellyn." Her maidservant called to her from across the clearing, which echoed with the hoof beats of approaching riders. "It's the prince!"

Rachel stared blankly at the young woman who'd come to stand before her. Jenna took her hand, and pulled her across the clearing, steering clear of the wreckage. "I expected the king to send riders, but not the prince himself! This is a surprise. I wish we had something to offer as refreshment."

In the back of her mind, Rachel wondered at Jenna's ability to talk about something so mundane as refreshment when their home lay flatted on the barren winter ground. It wasn't long before the prince and his entourage entered the clearing, their horses lathered with sweat. It was clear to Rachel immediately who commanded the title of prince. Prince Liam, son of King Jacques and Queen Lena, sat straight and strong on his sweat darkened stallion. His blue eyes surveyed the damage calmly and surely, taking in the situation as he would a dinner conversation.

That made Rachel angry. Her home was in ruins and he couldn't even be bothered to show just a shred of remorse. His gaze caught hers and immediately she forgot her anger. His eyes held compassion. And sorrow. And then she realized that she must look a fright. Her red hair hung ragged and tangled down her back, held only by a handkerchief wrapped around her head. Soot coated her arms and clothing, and probably her face too. Her cloak was too big, borrowed from one of the villagers.

"Where are the Lord and Lady of Crow's End?"

Rachel blinked and swallowed hard. She cleared her throat several times before she was able to speak clearly. When she did a blush stole across her cheeks. "I am the Lady of Crow's End."

The prince looked her over, disbelief radiating from his very blue eyes. Rachel's blush reddened further under his scrutiny. "Am I to believe that you are the Lady Rachel?"

Rachel nodded, holding her chin high. "I am." She didn't blame the prince for the surprise that was clearly written on his face. She doubted if she would recognize herself.

"Where is Lord William? Lady Andromeda?"

Rachel swallowed hard. "They are across the sea, my lord, visiting family in the Andorran Islands."

"She doesn't look much like a lady."

Tears welled in Rachel's eyes at the not-so-subtle remark. The prince appeared not to have heard his inferior's remark and that made Rachel angry. Pain welled in her chest as she watched the prince dismount and stride forward, his face a mask of cold sorrow. A sob escaped her throat, capturing his attention. Tears streamed quickly from her face, magnifying the sunlight that streamed through the soot blackened trees. Her mind spun as she fought for breath and turned to run, run anywhere. Anywhere but here, surrounded by all of this destruction. Dimly, she heard the prince call her name. She spun, intending to give him a piece of her mind, but fell in stead, tripping over a misplaced log of debris. The ground rushed up to meet her and pain snapped through her as she hit the icy ground.

The prince's arms were around her in an instant, helping her to her feet. Completely shaming herself, she sobbed into his jacket, clinging to him as if she were a child. He held her for a moment, waiting for her to take control of herself. When she pulled away, she found the prince had placed his own cloak around her shoulders. She blushed.

Taking in a shuddering breath, she wiped at her tears. "I'm sorry, my lord. Forgive me."

He ignored her, glancing behind her at the rubble. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know, my Lord," Rachel whispered. "One moment, we all were asleep. The next…our home is…is…" She sucked in a breath. "Gone," she cried. She hugged his cloak closer around her shoulders.

The prince stepped away. "Don't worry, milady. We'll take care of you. Were there any casualties?" His voice was hard, unfeeling.

She blinked. "What?"

He frowned, his eyes surveying the damage. "How many were killed or injured?"

Rachel swallowed. "I…I don't know. I…" The world around her began to spin. Her knees nearly gave way. A strong arm wrapped itself around her waist and under her knees, picking her up. Dazed, she noticed the prince's face seemed quite close to hers. Her vision clouded. She enjoyed a brief sensation of floating upward. Then everything went black.

* * *

Light streamed in from across the room, awakening her. Without opening her eyes she sighed in relief. It was just a dream. She felt the feather pillow beneath her head and the down comforter enveloping her body and she knew it had been a dream. A nightmare. A terrible nightmare.

Rachel yawned and stretched. Opening her eyes, she gasped and sat up. Her ears rang and the room see-sawed back and forth before her. She moaned, putting a hand to her head.

"My lady! Are you in pain?"

Rachel started at the voice. "What? Who are you?" Her voice came out small and weak. She fought back nausea.

A young woman appeared by the side of the bed. "My name is Joy, milady. I've been assigned to care for you." Rachel struggled to focus. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

Rachel blinked hard, forcing herself to focus. "Where am I?"

The young woman placed the back of her hand on Rachel's forehead. "Hmm. No temperature. The prince will be pleased." She turned away.

"The prince?"

Joy nodded, wisps of her blonde hair escaping braid that fell down her back. "Prince Liam, milady. He requested to be informed if you showed any change."

"Prince Liam? That means I'm...in the palace?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, milady. Prince Liam brought you here." She paused. "I'm so sorry to hear about your home."

"My home." It hit her. It hadn't been a dream. The nightmare was real! Her home lay in ruins! What was to become of her? Her eyes filled with tears. Joy was at her side in a second.

"Oh, milady! I'm sorry I upset you! I always do that. I talk too much, speaking of things I shouldn't. Please forgive me, milady!." As Rachel sobbed into her shoulder, Joy held her, smoothing her hair.

Rachel sat up a few moments later. "I'm sorry," she croaked. "I just…It's all so sudden." She wiped her eyes.

Joy rubbed her back. "The prince promised it would be rebuilt, milady."

Rachel shook her head. "Why would the prince concern himself with someone such as I?"

Joy smiled. "His Highness shows special favor to those in need. He always has." She ducked her head.

"Did he help you in some way?"

Joy met Rachel's gaze. "I was a slave in a Satiin, part of a traveling caravan in the Kioa Desert. When the caravan happened to travel into Ethane, they met up with my lord prince. He purchased me and a few others and freed us. Of the ones he freed, I asked to stay in his service. I had no other family and it was the least I could do to repay all he has done for me."

There was pain in the girl's voice, pain that had not yet been forgiven. Rachel took the girl's hand, sharing her pain. "Were you very afraid?"

Joy blinked. "Afraid, milady?"

"Of leaving all you knew? Of going to a strange land?"

Joy laughed. "Oh no, milady. I was excited. I love adventure. Besides, the prince was kind. He made the transition easy."

Rachel sighed. Joy made the prince seem so…so hospitable. So kind. And he was, Rachel remembered how he'd given her his cloak, helped her up. But she also remembered the lack of feeling in his eyes as he'd looked over her home. She remembered his cold blue eyes as he'd looked her over, disbelieving that she was indeed the daughter of Lord William of Crow's End. The prince may have been kind and considerate to a slave girl, but to the daughter of a duke? He'd been miserable in light of the tragedy that had befallen her.

"Are you hungry, milady?"

Rachel started. "What?"

"Are you hungry? You should eat." Without waiting for an answer, Joy headed for the door. "I'll send for some breakfast." After a few words with an unseen servant outside the room, Joy soon returned to her side. "Do you think you'll be up to visiting the prince today? Or would you care to rest a day more?"

Rachel clenched her teeth, weighing her options. She probably should rest a day more. Her time in the convent had taught her to take care of her body, lest she become weak or overexert herself. But she couldn't lay in bed when her people were without a home.

_Were there any causalities?_

The prince's word came back to her like a slap in the face.

_How many were killed or injured?_

With resolved determination, Rachel pushed the covers away. "I'd like to see the prince. I need to take care of a few matters." She stood, swaying. Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes until the dizziness passed. Joy took hold of her arm.

"Please, my lady, perhaps you should rest just one day more."

Rachel shook her head. The dizziness was subsiding. "No. No. I must see him. Please help me get dressed."

Joy frowned, but with a sigh she nodded and obeyed.

* * *

Liam, Crown Prince of Ethane, ran a hand through his thick mane of dark hair as he surveyed the maps on the table before him. How could it be that they had not found the Red Man? The elusive killer had struck again, burning down Lady Rachel's home. Liam couldn't comprehend this new twist in the Red Man's arsonist career. There was no pattern to the man's crimes. He attacked whoever he wanted on a whim. Three months ago he attacked a poor merchant's home in South Aravine. Two years ago he killed a wealthy noble's family when he burned their townhouse to the ground in Ben-Ira. The Red Man had left his mark on villages, counties, duchies. The King's Men had yet to find him, or any trace of him. The Red Man's identity and whereabouts remained a mystery. But they were several steps closer to finding out. One crucial fact - the Red Man was getting sloppy. He had never left his targets live. Yet here was Lady Rachellyn. The Red Man's target alive and well. Shaken, but alive. Something in his plan had gone wrong. But what?

Blast the man! How many more men women and children had to die to satisfy this bloodthirsty coward? Why does he not show his face? Liam blew out a sigh.

Lady Rachellyn. What was he to do with her? The poor girl was frightened out of her wits and she still did not know the true danger she was in. She did not know about the letter his men had found. She did not know how close she really was to the Red Man. He'd promised to rebuild her home. He would do that, but with this new information, he'd have to keep her here in the palace. Lord only knew how she'd react to that news.

There was a knock at the door.

"Enter," he commanded, still bent over the maps.

A armored manservant stepped in. "The Lady Rachellyn of Crow's End to see you, sire."

Liam glanced up. Apparently, he'd find out right now. "Let her in." The manservant stepped aside, and there she was. No longer the frightened little mouse he'd rescued the morning before, but a young woman on a mission. He could read the determination in her eyes, in the tilt of her chin.

"Welcome to Mensareth, Lady Rachellyn."

She gracefully dipped her head and bent her knees into a perfect curtsy. When she straightened, Liam was momentarily left speechless by her beauty. Her carefully coifed hair was a shocking red, her skin pale as porcelain. Her brown eyes stared back at him with intelligence and spirit as her mouth turned down just a bit at the corners into a delicate frown. The freckles dusting the bridge of her nose and cheeks made her look younger than he knew her to be. A sudden urge to see her bright eyes lit with a smile washed over him and he took a breath to steady himself.

"Thank you, my lord." Her voice held none of the tremor of yesterday. She held herself regally, as if she were the Queen herself.

Liam cleared his throat. "Did you sleep well? Yestermorn's events no doubt took their toll on you."

"Yes, my lord. I slept well indeed. Thank you."

"Well, please allow me to offer…"

"My lord, I apologize, but I am not in the mood for civilities." Her tone shocked him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Then what are you in the mood for?" He could match her tone easily.

"Answers."

So she was up to the challenge. Liam crossed to the other side of the room where a table sat just before a window overlooking the Crysterian Sea. "Please, have a seat."

Rachel watched him for a moment, barely refraining from narrowing her eyes. Her mother would be appalled at her behavior. Especially before the Crown Prince himself. Just barely containing her temper, she stepped forward and accepted the seat he offered her. Spreading the skirts of her borrowed gown wide, she sat straight and tall, silently daring him to mock her.

"What would you like to know, my lady? I will share all I can with you."

Rachel blinked. She liked the sound of his voice. Deep and rich, an echo of his soul, her mother would say. His voice matched his features, strong and sure. Blue eyes watched her intently, as a shock of dark, nearly black, hair fell across his forehead. His jaw was strong and chiseled. His mouth…

Better not stare at his mouth. Rachel pulled her gaze back to his eyes. The look he gave told her he knew exactly what she had been thinking. She felt a blush steal across her cheeks.

"My lord, how many of my people were killed?"

Liam grimaced. "Twenty-two."

Rachel stifled a gasp. She tore her gaze away and focused blindly on the sea outside the window as tears filled her eyes. "Twenty-two." She wiped at a stray tear that fell. "How did this happen? Do we know?"

Liam shook his head, wondering how much to tell her. "All evidence of foul play would have been destroyed when the castle caved in. We suspect the fire started in the bowels of the manse, near the foundations. That's most likely what caused it to cave in so quickly."

Rachel nodded, numb. Twenty-two. Twenty-two families had just been ripped apart. Liam's voice jolted her when he spoke.

"How did you get out before Crow's End fell?"

Rachel bit her lip. "I was visiting."

"Visiting whom?"

Rachel stared at him, pursing her lips. "I was visiting Sasha. He was teaching me."

"Teaching you?"

Rachel nodded. She didn't want to tell him. Her mother would be furious if she found out.

Liam was persistent. "Teach you what?"  
She took a breath and clenched her teeth. She told herself she had nothing to be ashamed of. She told herself that Liam wouldn't even care. So she told him.

And he laughed.

Rachel nearly saw red. "And what, my lord, is so funny?"

Liam wiped his eyes. "You were learning blacksmithing? Blacksmithing?"  
She held her head high. "Yes. I was." She clenched her fists in her lap. "I'm quite good at it," she spat.

"Oh, my." Liam chuckled. "I have to say, I didn't expect that."

Rachel stood, furious. "Thank you, milord, for your time." Without so much as a good-bye, she left the prince behind. She walked the halls of the palace, forcing herself to slow down so as not to startle the other inhabitants.

Was the prince really so insensitive? She had been honest with the rogue and he had laughed at her! She had lost her home and he laughed at her! The nerve of that man. She entered a heavily decorated sunroom at the end of one hallway. She went to one, and pressed her palm against a thick glass window. The shock of winter cold sent a shiver down her spine. The cold surged through her blood and she shivered. She tried to breathe deeply, struggling to calm the raging fire of her anger.

"Lady Rachellyn, please."

Liam's voice sounded behind her. She refused to turn around, but etiquette demanded she answer her sovereign. "My lord."

Footsteps told her he was coming before he stood beside her. "My lady, forgive me. I was insensitive toward you. I meant no offense."

She didn't answer.

Liam continued. "I'm afraid we got off to rather a bad beginning. First you faint in my arms and then I laugh at your honest answer. Could we perhaps start over?"

Rachel turned to look at him. Liam swallowed hard. He had hurt her, he could see that easily. He scolded himself. He had always been good with women, had always been able to choose any woman he wanted and he'd have them falling at his feet within minutes. But not this one. Lady Rachellyn seemed to loathe him to the very core of his being. He could read it in her eyes.

"Rachel."

He blinked. "Pardon?"

She managed a slight smile. A forgiving smile. "I prefer to be called Rachel. No one but my father calls me Rachellyn."

Liam nodded, grateful. "Then, Rachel, would you accompany on a walk through the palace? I'm sure there are some exquisite pieces of art that might garner your approval."

Rachel was silent a moment. "Thank you, but no. I need to speak with the families of the twenty-two men and women who died under my father's employ. I have a long day ahead of me. Perhaps another time."

Without another word, she stepped past him and back into the palace. He watched her go. Perhaps another time, she'd said.

He nodded once. "I'll hold you to it."


End file.
